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58 Class Surviving components only... |
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David Bromage has kindly provided this photo which shows 5808's tender tank at Canberra on 6 November 2005. |
The D-58
class was designed as an improved version of the earlier D-57 class 4-8-2 heavy
good locomotives, retaining a 3 cylinder design but using rack-and-pinion valve
timing instead of Gresley conjugating valve gear. 25 locomotives were planned
however only 13 D-58 class locomotives were completed, with the construction
program cancelled due to poor performance of the delivered locomotives and a
policy change favouring diesel rather than steam traction.
The 13 completed D-58
class were all were withdrawn after short lives and regrettably none were
preserved, but many D-57 and D-58 class tenders were retained as water tankers,
permanently coupled back-to-back in pairs. One of these tenders is now
preserved by the DSR&M at Dorrigo, and 5808's tender tank survives at
Canberra station as a diesel fuel bunker.
Other surviving D-58
components include an example of the large cylinder & smokebox saddle
castings for the 3-cylinder front-end, which were stored (prior to NSWRTM
upgrading in 2009-2010) within the workshop area at the NSWRTM Thirlmere. These
appeared to be unused and presumably would have come from one of the 58-class
locos that had not been assembled. Hopefully these will one day be cleaned-up
and placed on display - perhaps on a freight wagon - as an example of the heavy
engineering involved in steam locomotive construction. Other D-58 class
components that were on display at the NSWRTM prior to upgrading included two
cabs (from 5814 & 5815) which were welded back-to-back to form a picnic
shelter, and the driving / crank axle.
A 58-class
boiler apparently also survives at a sawmill at Deepwater, NSW.
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5814 & 5815 cabs welded back-to-back to form a picnic
shelter. It is apparent from the rust marks that the brass numbers had been
attached for some years. 5814 & 5815 were never completed so presumably these components were among those lying around at termination of the D-58 class build project. |
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This crank-axle from a 3-cylinder locomotive was on
display at the NSWRTM. It would have been for either a D-57 or D-58 class locomotive. |
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In comparison to the picture above, here is the crank
axle for a 2-cylinder (inside cylinder) locomotive. (I don't know what type of locomotive
this came from, but presumably not a D-58 or D-57!) |
Page updated: 16 June 2025
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